


The Tiger Who Made Tea

by Swashbuckler



Category: DC Extended Universe, Shazam! (2019)
Genre: Adventure, Developing Friendships, Gen, Guardian-Ward Relationship, Kindness, Lighthearted, Post-Canon, Snow, Superpowers, Tea, Tigers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:13:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21833497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swashbuckler/pseuds/Swashbuckler
Summary: While exploring the Rock of Eternity, Darla makes a new friend.
Comments: 20
Kudos: 62





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> While I adored Shazam! (2019), I felt that something - or, should I say, someone - was missing from the film.
> 
> The title is intended as a play on title of children's book "The Tiger Who Came To Tea", as I thought that would be fitting. :)

It was a couple of days after New Year and Darla couldn’t sleep. 

It wasn’t her fault; the last couple of weeks had been too exciting. What with Christmas and New Year and being allowed to stay up ‘til midnight for the countdown - she hadn’t managed to stay awake, but she’d been allowed to - and gaining a brand new big brother and then all the stuff with the evil supervillain trying to kill them and--

Darla thought she might combust. So much had happened so fast.

And now _she_ was really fast. Even faster than Rosa and Victor always said she was.

_I wonder if I’m faster than the Flash now?_ she wondered in the dark. _He’s super fast. I wonder if Billy could find him and ask him if we could have a race together. That would be so much fun, and then we could be friends, and then--_

_I wonder if I could compete in Sports Day as a superhero? My class would definitely win the race then. Would that be cheating? That might be cheating._

_Technically now I’m the tallest in my class, too, if I say ‘Shazam’. But then everyone would know that I’m a superhero, and Billy says we have to keep it secret. We have so many secrets now - we have a super secret magic word, we have secret superhero identities, we have a secret lair--_

Darla scrunched her duvet in her hands. Their lair had been-- It wasn’t _scary_ \- not with the others there - but all the shadows and statues and stonework had definitely meant it felt like a proper _lair_ , not like the sheet tents with cushions and fairy lights she’d built with Mary and Pedro.

_It’s not really scary, though, is it? I’m not scared of it,_ she told herself firmly. _It’s exciting, too, like getting superpowers. It’s somewhere new to explore. It’s like making new friends, but for a place!_

Darla sat herself up in bed, squinting in the dark. _It wouldn’t hurt to go have another look around - just to be sure - would it? Then I would know I'm definitely not scared. If everyone’s asleep, I could just explore for a little bit,_ she reasoned, fidgeting with her duvet cover. She picked up one of her teddy bears that slept beside her. 

“What do you think, Philip?” Darla asked the bear quietly in the dark. “I only want to have a look around. I’ll come back to bed afterwards. That would be okay, wouldn’t it?” 

Philip the bear said nothing, however - with a little encouragement from Darla - he did nod.

Darla fumbled for her glasses on her bedside table, adjusting them on her ears as she reached for the lamp switch. She swung her legs round and dropped out of bed and into her slippers. She - quietly - cleared her throat and put her shoulders back. Darla raised her head and opened her mouth--

\--and noticed the scorch mark on her ceiling.

The memory of Mary’s voice came back to her from the ‘team meeting’ they’d had a couple of days after Christmas - _“we shouldn’t really use our powers in the house, or Rosa and Victor will eventually know something’s up.”_

_“What about if it’s an emergency?” Freddy had interrupted._

_“I mean, sure, if it’s a real emergency--”_

_“Okay, but what counts as an emergency? You know, what if--”_

Darla couldn’t remember every example of an emergency Freddy had rattled off, but she did remember that several had made her - and the others, and even Mary as she'd tried to maintain a sensible straight face - laugh, especially the one about the ice cream truck. She pondered the burn on her ceiling, then nodded. She had another plan.

The belt of her dressing gown was tied in a bow around her middle after two attempts and some confusion, and then she was out of her room, creeping down the hall and climbing down the stairs one at a time, all the while listening for any sound in the house. Once Darla had reached the bottom of the stairs, she hastily swapped her slippers for her rain boots, and then - after stretching as far as she could - she opened the latch on the front door.

The world was a strange mix of colours; the orange glow of street lamps blurred into the ghostly blue of the snow in the moonlight. Darla hugged her dressing gown tight around herself as she trotted down the drive, a cloud of her breath trailing after her. 

Safely away from the house, Darla cleared her throat again. She put her shoulders back, fists resting on her hips just like how she’d seen Wonder Woman standing on the news and took a deep breath as she raised her head and opened her mouth--

\--and whispered, “Shazam!”

The bolt of lightning that shocked the front yard wasn't nearly as quiet. Darla blinked and shuddered, bouncing on her toes, giggling to herself. _That feels so weird._

She made to instinctively hug her cape around herself, only to pause. Darla looked at her bare arms. She wasn’t cold.

“Huh.”

She shrugged and headed back toward the house. She lingered for a moment in the drive, her gold boot hovering beside one of the little footprints she’d made in the snow on her way out of the house, so much smaller than she was now.

_I wonder— ohmygosh._

Darla was back in the house in a rush of cold air. She shot into the hallway, then stumbled, doubling back to shut and quickly lock the front door. _I was never gone._

Darla shuffled herself backwards so her back was flat against the hallway wall and her arm was parallel to door frame between it and the living room. The doorframe was littered with initials and little dashes carved into the wood. Her highest mark, scratched in with a blue biro, was set below all her siblings heights, including the ones from years ago. She didn’t even normally come up to her elbow like this.

_I really am tall now._

There was a moment of consideration in the direction of the house biscuit tin, kept in a cupboard she couldn’t normally reach.

She shook her head. _No, no, that would be bad._

Instead she turned her attention to the cupboard door scorched with seven rows of runes that - as she got closer - began to glow.

* * *

Their lair wasn’t scary. She knew it wasn’t. Not really. 

Darla stretched out her legs in front of her, tapping her boots together and drumming her fingers on the arms of her stone throne, humming cheerfully to herself. _This is so cool. We have a lair all to ourselves. We can have adventures and secret team meetings. We should bring snacks here. I wonder if we could bring a fridge here? Where would we even get a fridge? I'm not sure we have any plugs here..._

Her daydreaming drew her attention slowly to the throne furthest from hers, the seventh and final throne in the row that none of her siblings had claimed.

_I wonder if we’ll get another new sibling soon,_ she hoped. _We got Billy, and Mary might be leaving soon - maybe Victor and Rosa will adopt someone new into the family. They could have powers too, like all of us._

_Would they be a boy or a girl? I'd like another big sister. I wonder what colour their outfit would be if they got powers too? What would be their special power? If I have speed and Pedro's super strong and--_

_Wait, Billy broke the magic stick. Would they be able to get powers?_ The thought of a hypothetical sibling being left out made her lip tremble. She shook her head and sat up straighter.

_We’d be their family; we’d figure something out._

Darla pushed herself out of her throne, landing on her feet with a little bounce. She beamed around their lair at nothing in particular, hands on her hips again. This was fun. 

The sight of the seven ugly statues lining the walkway ahead of her made her smile falter. Darla had rushed past them on her way into the cavern, not wanting to look at them, yet there they loomed in the shadows. The memory of their grotesque, hulking forms made her skin crawl. She fidgeted and frowned at the walkway floor.

_Maybe we could cover them with a blanket or something._

Darla crouched down, ready, then - after a nervous glance ahead of her - shot past them, braving a quick glare and sticking her tongue out at them as she zoomed past. She ran through the rock tunnels, following the path she had taken with her siblings when they had been running from Dr Sivana not two weeks ago. Within seconds, she was skidding to a halt, staring in awe at the cave full of doors that stretched up and up and up and out of sight. 

“There must be thousands of doors here.” 

Reflexively, she reached for the handle of the nearest door, then paused, remembering the horrors they had found behind them the first time they’d been here, and how Billy had forbade them from opening any more…  


But they couldn’t all be bad, could they? 

The only trouble was, she couldn’t tell which were bad, not without opening them. And there were so many doors. If she tried them all, even if she went super fast, she would be here all night. 

Darla shifted from foot to foot, dancing on the spot. She scrunched up her eyes and pointed to a door.

“Eenie--”

She pointed to another door.

“--meenie--

Then another

“--miney--”

And another. 

“--mo.”

In an instant, the door was whipped open. A little more slowly, Darla opened her eyes.

“Huh.”

Beyond this door was no grisly horror or scary threat; instead, a carpeted hallway painted a soft cream greeted her, sunlight bouncing off the walls as it spilled out of an adjacent room.

Darla stuck her head through the door. “Hello?” she called quietly. When she heard no reply, she stepped through the doorway into the hall, but not before she scuffed the dirt off her boots on the stone floor of the cavern. She pulled the door up behind her, careful not to shut it completely, just in case. On the back of the wooden door was a little watercolour painting of a landscape.

The hallway was bright and warm and had another door at the other end of it with a window of frosted glass. Darla tiptoed towards it. Several closed doors lined the hallway, plus a single open one, all painted a sleek white, unlike the uncoated wooden door she had come through. Despite their different colours, they had something in common - they were all the same size. They were huge - so much taller than the doors at home. Darla double-checked her clothes - she was still wearing her purple suit, gold boots, still had her cape, and didn't have her glasses. Hmm. 

There was a mirror opposite the coat rack at the end of the hall. She had to jump, and jump again, and jump again to strain to catch a glimpse of herself in it. She was still her superhero self, so she wasn't shorter. _Maybe this world is bigger?_

The coat rack behind her had several smart coats and a hat hanging on its hooks, but, strangely, no shoes on its lower bench. That was where everyone kept their shoes, wasn't it?

On her way down the hall, she had passed a door - the only door in the hall that was open. She crept back to it now and peeked inside. It was a living room; plush carpet under her shoes, a large armchair with its back to the door facing its empty twin on the other side of the coffee table, a bookcase and a wide window that looked out onto a snowy street. Instinctively, Darla hurried to the window to look out at the snow, arching high on her tiptoes to peer out at the shapes wading through the winter scene. Some were tiny, some huge, so lumpy and hunched in coats they looked strange, almost like they weren’t hu--

“Um. Hello.” 

The voice was polite, deeply perplexed, and right behind her. Darla span around on the spot; ready to greet whoever had spoken, until she saw just who - just _what_ \- it was.

She stared. 

The tiger stared back. 

Darla gaped. The tiger shifted nervously.

"Hello," he repeated politely.

The tiger was wearing a suit. 

The tiger was holding an open book.

The tiger was wearing _reading glasses._

“You’re a tiger,” Darla finally said in a breathless squeal.

“Yes, I am,” the tiger agreed, pinching the corner of his glasses between two thick, curved claws and carefully removing them from his nose and setting them aside.“But it’s alright, there’s no need to be af--”

“And you can talk! And you’re wearing a _suitandyou’re_ reading _andyou--_ ” 

The tiger’s ears flattened back against his head and his eyes went wide as Darla rushed forwards, babbling excitedly at record speed. 

She stuck out her hand, smiling widely. “My name is Darla.”

The tiger continued to stare at her in shock, book clutched to his chest. He glanced from her hand to her earnest and eager smile, and, after a careful assessment of his claws, he tucked his paw around her hand and shook it very gently.

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Tawny.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter should be up by the end of the year! :D


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this chapter took a little longer to get finished than I originally planned, but here it is! :D Since posting the original chapter, I have given it a few small edits to spruce it up a bit. I hope you enjoy!

It was a couple of days after New Year and Darla couldn’t stop smiling. She was practically bouncing in the armchair she had been invited to sit in, eagerly taking in every detail of Tawny _the talking tiger’s_ living room. It was very fancy. He had smart ornaments and a rug and a dark, polished table set between the two high-backed chairs that looked out across the snowy street. 

She had met a talking tiger. This was it. This was the best door she could have possibly chosen.

“You don’t see many humans in this world,” Tawny’s voice was a low, smooth rumble calling from his kitchen, “so please forgive my surprise.”

“I wasn’t expecting to see a tiger; I’ve never met a tiger before,” Darla reassured him. _I mean, I’ve seen a couple at the zoo,_ she reasoned, _but telling him that might be rude. They don’t wear any clothes._

“All the more important to make a good first impression,” Tawny said brightly. His furry face appeared around the kitchen door. “Tea?” he asked genially. 

“Oh, yes please!” 

“Do you have any preference for blend?”

“Uhhhhh--” Darla frowned at the coffee table before venturing “--something sweet? You have a really lovely house!” she called toward the kitchen. “Do you live here by yourself?” 

“Yes, it’s just me here.” Tawny had returned carrying a tray that he set neatly down on the table. Darla beamed and thanked him as he handed her an elegant cup in a saucer. 

“I must confess, people aren’t normally so pleased to see a tiger,” Tawny sighed, sitting down opposite Darla, his tail flicking to the side. “You get a lot of _‘oh no!’_ and _‘please don’t eat me!’_. Never _‘how are you?’_ or _‘lovely weather we’re having’_ ,” he said glumly. 

Darla considered this. Tawny had very big teeth - she could see them when he talked. “Will you eat me?” she asked, genuinely curious. 

Tawny shook his head. “No,” he clarified with a sigh. “Lots of people don’t believe me, but it is true, I assure you. I have a hard enough time stomaching sushi.”

Darla pointed to herself excitedly. “You’re like me!” she beamed. “I don’t eat animals, so I won’t eat you either,” she reassured him solemnly. 

She didn’t quite understand why that made Tawny laugh, but at least she made him smile again.

“Thank you, Darla,” Tawny chuckled, “that means a great deal.” 

Darla nodded. “You are welcome.” She picked up her teacup and gently blew on her tea. She gave it a careful sip, pinkie extended. It wasn’t quite as sweet as the stuff she made with the Snickers bars, but it smelled like flowers and tasted like honey, warm and happy. She daintily set her cup back in its saucer and was struck by the daunting realisation that she was going to have to up the quality of her tea parties with Billy; sipping tea with a very polite tiger had set a whole new standard. 

Darla considered Tawny’s smart tweed suit, his perfectly knotted tie, his large paws and his fluffy, striped face. “People aren’t _too_ scared of you though, are they?”

“Not everyone,” Tawny told her. “Mostly new acquaintances, but if I’m ever out with Hoppy - he’s a dear friend of mine - they tend to calm down a bit, even if they are surprised that he has no problem with me,” he admitted.

“Is he a tiger too?” 

“Oh, no, Hoppy is a rabbit.”

_Tawnythetalkingtigerisfriendswithabunnyrabbitthisisthebestdayofmylife._

Tawny sipped his tea and made a pleased noise. His ear twitched as he considered Darla. He opened his mouth, then shut it, whiskers twitching as his nose scrunched ever-so-slightly in contemplation. “If-- you don’t mind me asking,” Tawny began apologetically, “--how _did_ you get into my house again?” 

“Oh!” Darla said brightly, after gulping down an excited mouthful of tea. “Through the door.” 

Tawny looked confused. “The front door? I was sure I locked that.”

“No, the door at the end of your hallway. I think it was a cupboard? Come on, I’ll show you!”

Perplexed, Tawny set his cup down and followed Darla as she whizzed into the hall, white cape whipping behind her. 

Darla gestured to the wooden door with a proud flourish. “This door.” 

Tawny tilted his head curiously as he followed her down the hall. “My linen closet?” 

Darla nodded. “It wasn't a linen closet when I was in it, but--” She pulled the door fully open and Tawny’s gold eyes went very, very wide as he stared out into the depths of the cavern that should not have been there. _“Ta da!”_

“What in the Wildlands,” Tawny breathed. He stretched out a tentative paw, as if expecting there to be a screen. When he touched nothing but the cold air of the cave, his nose twitched. All the while Darla hovered at Tawny’s side, mesmerised by stripes and whiskers and _tiger_. 

“Do you want to have a look around?” she asked. 

“Is it safe?” Tawny asked tentatively, and was answered by an enthusiastic nod below his shoulder. 

“Uh huh. I’ve been here before,” she said, taking his paw in her hand without fear. “We probably shouldn’t open any other doors, though. That’s...not always a good idea.”

Darla watched, delighted, as she led Tawny out of his home and into the Rock of Eternity and pure awe overtaking his features. 

“What is this place?” he asked, mouth hanging open. He leant back, taking in the expansive grandeur of the cavern above them and the doors that defied explanation all the way up. 

“Our lair,” Darla chirped. 

Tawny blinked. “Your ‘lair’?” he clarified. 

“Yup,” Darla said brightly. 

“That sounds awfully sinister,” he chuckled. 

“It’s what Billy and Freddie called it,” Darla shrugged. “It’s okay, we’re not evil, I promise,” she said earnestly. 

Tawny raised both paws. “I would never dare assume,” he promised, “that’s why I was surprised. I didn’t mean to offend.”

“You didn’t,” Darla said, smiling again. “C’mon! I wanna show you the best bit!” Darla tugged at Tawny’s paw and suddenly there was a rush of blues and greys and--

“What-- just happened?” Tawny asked, blinking rapidly, his tail swishing behind him as the world stopped moving as abruptly as it had started.

“I brought us to the throne room! Or, at least, I think they’re thrones. It sounds more interesting than calling them ‘chairs’,” Darla mused. “What do you think? There are six of me and my brothers and sister, and seven thrones so we have a spare.” Darla gasped. “Maybe it’s for you! You can sit in it!”

Tawny, still dizzy, nodded, grateful for the chance to sit down. “Where should I--? I don’t want to impose.”

“Uh, uhm, I was there, and Mary was there, Freddie and Billy and Eugene and Pedro-- There!” she pointed to the throne at the far end of the row. Tawny sat down opposite her as instructed, elbows resting on the stone armrests, paws folded politely at his chest. Darla beamed at him from across the ring, tapping the toes of her gold shoes together. “What do you think?” 

Tawny nodded slowly, taking in the details of the stone hall. “It’s grand,” he said. “How did you come to end up in this place - your lair?” Tawny asked. “You said you didn’t live here.” 

“Oh!” Darla leant forward in her throne. “That was because my brother Billy got given powers by a wizard who lived here on the other side of your door and then he had to fight this really mean ugly man who tried to kill us because he wanted the powers the wizard gave Billy but _then_ instead of giving him his powers Billy shared them with us instead by making us say _‘Shaza--!’_ ” 

There was an almighty, thundering crack of light. Tawny threw his arms over his face to shield his eyes, ears flat against his head. "Darla?” The young woman who had been sat in the throne opposite him had disappeared, a cloud of smoke left in her wake. “Darla?!” Tawny was up out of the throne and looking around frantically. “Are you alright?” 

“Oops,” a small voice said from somewhere in the smoke. “I forgot we can’t say it normally.” A pair of small hands appeared out of the mist and waved at him. 

Tawny blinked. “Darla?” 

“That’s me,” she beamed. She frowned at the wide-eyed shock facing her. “Sorry, did the lightning scare you?” 

Tawny stared, stunned, at the little girl sat where the adult woman had been previously, her purple suit and white cape replaced by pyjamas and a pink dressing gown. “No, no, you’re fine,” he assured her gently. “Are _you_ alright?”  


“Yup!”

“It didn’t hurt?” he asked, concerned.

“No,” she said with a yawn. “Feels kind of fuzzy. Like when you rub a balloon.” She pushed her glasses up to rub her eyes. 

There was a crooning noise from above her and Darla blinked to find Tawny watching her fondly, a paw resting on his chest. “I must admit, this afternoon makes a lot more sense now,” he chuckled. “At least--” he frowned at the cavern “--some of it does.” 

“It’s okay, you’ll get used to it,” Darla said dreamily. She blinked slowly. “I should probably go back to bed,” she mumbled, and yawned again. 

“That’s probably a good idea,” Tawny smiled. He extended a paw that Darla took as she shuffled out of her throne. Stood beside him, she had to hold her arm all the way up to hold his paw. Darla craned her neck, squinting up at him.

“You are really, really tall.” 

"Nine and a half paws," Tawny said, watching Darla sway a little as she stared at him in wonder. “Darla, I’m concerned you might hurt your neck like that,” he said. “Would you prefer it if I carried you?” 

_“Yesyesyesyesyes!”_

Tawny laughed, delighted at her enthusiasm, and Darla near squealed as she was lifted up into the air and sat in the crook of his arm. She wasted zero time in making herself comfortable, her arms hugged around his neck.

“Thank you!” she beamed. Tawny made a funny chuffing noise and blinked slowly. He bounced her lightly in his arms. 

“Let’s get you home, shall we?” 

"Mm, okay. But can I come back and visit you another time?" 

"Of course you can. If I know you’re coming, I’d be better prepared to host,” he admitted. “You appearing unexpectedly caught me a little short.”

“I thought it was lovely,” Darla said. “The tea was really good. Oh, oh, if I come again, can I bring my brothers and sister with me?" 

Tawny nodded and Darla giggled as the thick white fur framing his face tickled her cheek. "If they want to come, I'd be happy to meet them." 

"Yay! I think Billy will love you the most," Darla said confidently. "He really likes tigers." 

Tawny made that funny chuffing noise again, and gave a slow blink. “It’s always nice to be liked,” he chuckled. 

She wasn’t even this tall when she was a superhero. Everything looked funny from up here. She could see everything - long length of the cavern, the white spots on the back of Tawny’s ears, the--

Tawny stopped. “Darla, are you alright?” The little girl had gone from bright and upright to hiding her face in his neck. “I’m sorry, Darla, I didn’t quite catch that - what did you say?” His ears swivelled, trying to catch what Darla was mumbling into his fur. “Statues, my dear? What stat--” 

Tawny raised his golden gaze from Darla to the seven grotesque creatures, neither human nor beast, bearing down on them from beside Darla the side of the walkway. The statues loomed, and the longer Tawny looked, seemed to bleed into the shadows of the cavern making them swell and grow.

At his shoulder, Darla gave an agitated whimper. 

Tawny tore his gaze from the statues, his tail swiping from side to side behind him. He squared his shoulders, pried Darla’s hands carefully from his neck with a quiet comfort, and with one fluid movement, swapped her from his right side to his left, so she was held further from the monstrous things.

“What ugly sculptures,” he mused to her, striding away from the things with confidence. “Nothing a good hammer wouldn’t fix, I’m sure,” he suggested. 

“We didn’t put them there,” she said seriously, as if sure he’d think otherwise. He quickly dispelled such a notion, and Darla, reassured, settled her head back against his shoulder. 

Falling asleep felt so easy. She was warm and comfortable and her eyes kept drooping, no matter how much she wanted to stay awake and spend time with her new friend. Still, it was very hard. It had to be even later than midnight by now. 

Tawny must’ve noticed her head drooping. "Can stay awake for just a little bit longer, Darla? I need you to direct me back to your home." 

Darla nodded blearily. "It's in Philadelphia near the school. You have to drive there." 

Tawny paused. "I thought you said you came through a door?" 

"Oh!" Darla perked up a little, only for her eyes to droop again. "Yeah, you can go that way, too." 

“Which direction is your door in?” 

Darla pointed a loose arm in the direction she’d come from through the Rock of Eternity, only for her to start into alertness with a confused noise. 

"Wait," Darla said. "We can't go through the door."

"Hmm?"

"The door won't be there for the way back; it wasn't last time."

Tawny looked worried. "Then how am I going to get you home?" Tawny asked, a little frantic. Someone would miss the child eventually, and he could hardly forward a message to them to let them know she was safe and well. 

"When we were here before, Billy said he thought about--" Darla remembered to cover her mouth with her hand when she yawned "--somewhere and we went there by magic. Mary wouldn't let me see where we went, though. Maybe if I think about home--" 

Darla scrunched up her eyes and thought about Victor and Rosa's living room and the Christmas tree and the carpet and the--

Tawny blinked rapidly as a flurry of unfamiliar smells greeted him, followed by the swift medley of relief and confusion upon realising that they were no longer stood in a cavernous rock castle. 

“Yay! It worked!”

“Yes, it did,” Tawny agreed slowly, looking around. “H-how, exactly?” 

“Magic!” 

“Ah, I see.” After this afternoon, he was ready to accept that explanation. Tawny was removed from his ruminations by Darla fidgeting in his arms. “Sorry, Darla, would you like to get down?”

“Yes, please.” 

Tawny bent his knees and set Darla carefully down. She waddled out of the living room and sat down on the bottom step of the stairs, Tawny following behind her, ducking carefully through the doorway. 

“You won’t tell anyone about my superpowers, or our lair, will you?” Darla asked, pulling off her rain boots. “Mary said it would be a bad idea to tell people. So you can’t tell anyone, okay?” 

“I don’t think they’d believe me if I did,” Tawny admitted, however he placed one paw on his chest and raised the other, “but I promise I won’t. Eagle Scout’s honour.” 

“Okay,” Darla beamed. She tidied away her boots like she was supposed to, and then rushed forwards, hugging her arms tightly around Tawny’s knees. “It was lovely to meet you Mister Tawny!”

“It was lovely to meet you too, Darla,” Tawny smiled down at her, blinking slowly. 

“Will you be able to get home safely? You can head back through our lair if you go through that door - that’s how I got in.” She gasped. “Or you could stay here and meet everyone!” 

Tawny laughed fondly. “That’s very kind of you, Darla, but I think you need to sleep now. I’ll be able to find my way home, I am sure.”

Darla made a disappointed noise, despite barely being able to keep her eyes open. “Aw, okay,” she sighed. “But I can come and see you again?” 

“Darla, you and your family are always welcome,” he assured her with a smile, his paw over his heart. “Now, it’s this door, yes?” He pointed to the rune-scorched red door.

Darla beamed and nodded. "Buh bye, Mister Tawny," she called quietly with a wave as he ducked through back into the rock cavern. "I'll come see you again soon." 

"Goodbye, Darla, it was a true pleasure to meet you."

Darla practically bounced back up the stairs. She had met a tiger! A real talking tiger! Who wore suits and made tea and was lovely and vegetarian just like her! She would have to tell the others everything in the morning. _I wonder when we can all visit him?_ Darla wondered, carefully closing her bedroom door behind her. She hung up her dressing gown and wobbled tiredly toward her bed. _Perhaps next weekend! Or on Wednesday! Or tomorrow!_

She switched off her lamp and clambered back into bed, ready to tell Philip and all her toys everything--

\--and fell into her pillow, completely exhausted, before she got a chance. 

* * *

Finding his way back to his own door was not, in the end, as hard as he had secretly feared it might be. Even a way off, amongst the shadows of smells Darla had brought with her from the human world, he could recognise the familiar floral waft of the laundry detergent he used at home.

What a sweet girl. It was always lovely to meet someone new, and he’d be lying if he claimed not only her lack of fear but also her joy at seeing him hadn’t been a blessed breath of fresh air. 

Tawny paused, paw on the handle of his home’s cupboard door as he gazed out at the city of doors floating above him, stretching up high into the depths of the cave and out of sight. His ear twitched.

“This was definitely a linen closet yesterday,” he murmured, perplexed, and pulled the door shut behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this fic and this chapter! Darla is a delight to write so I've greatly enjoyed writing this. I can't wait for the next _Shazam!_ film!
> 
> Several lines are direct references to canon - Tawny's line about not being able to stomach sushi is taken directly from the Scooby Doo Team Up :D Also Darla's comment about her tea parties with Billy is referencing a deleted scene from the movie I would recommend to everyone because it is _adorable_ \- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hZ-3_iyaPs


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